After the End: The Baudelaires
by HeatherQuill
Summary: The End implied the end of the story, but the Baudelaire's tale has far further to go. The Great Unknown lurks, but whilst VFD and other horrors threaten from the outside, the Baudelaire's have a much more personal story within.
1. Chapter 1

Violet sat down on the beach, a radio pressed to her ear; and baby Beatrice on her lap. For days she had been trying to contact the Quagmires, to little avail. She missed Duncan and his knowledge, Isadora's incessant rhyming and Quigley's...

Quigley.

Those triplets had meant more to her than any worldly possessions, and now she didn't even know if they were alive. A long beep sounded. Nothing.

Beatrice was quiet, and no one else seemed to be awake; not as though they were sleeping, but actually aware of the world. Klaus had his head in a book, and Sunny was digging for driftwood, which was ridiculous, because they were surrounded by it. It was just something to occupy – Violet understood, as she had no idea what she would do, had she not filled countless weeks with Quagmire-searching.

And yet, despite the fact that there was no evidence whatsoever, that the Quagmires were alive, Violet had not fully considered the fact that they were dead. It would have overcome her – she would have stopped functioning and curled up…waiting for new evidence to reveal that she had been wrong.

Duncan. Isadora. Quigley.

It was so strange; Violet had watched Klaus make assumptions about her, he had been almost certain that she and Duncan were perfect. He had not actually said anything, but she had known Klaus long enough to read him like a book. And yet, Violet had only ever considered Duncan a good friend. Later, Klaus had, and still was failing to pick up on the fact that Violet might care for Quigley. He had been too absorbed in the traumas of the world, as opposed to considering the more beautiful aspects.

"Everything and everyone eventually washes up here," Violet had been assured by Ishmael, but she had trouble believing it. Outside the VFD schism, how many people, who appeared to live completely sane and normal lives actually could end up there? Kit had said that the Quagmires had winded up in the sea…but that had been weeks ago. That could mean that they had drowned – Violet caught her breath, and concentrated very, very hard on the rolling waves and sky – or that they had been rescued. Or kidnapped.

Violet had not noticed Klaus stand up, and make for the shore. "Violet – look!" His voice was alert, but excited…As she turned, she saw three figures walking along the coastal shelf. Her eyes flashed, and then dimmed – they looked too old to be the Quagmires.

It eventually became evident, that the shadows were people. "Sunny?" Violet's voice cracked with fear and underuse – as the day turned to dusk, it became certain that the trio would meet them in an hour. It was a formidable thought. Her sister – who was going on five, but still bit things for the joy of it, flopped down on the ground beside her, and Klaus followed.

As they waited, the three Baudelaires, and their Snicket companion waited, hands interlinked. Apart from the addition of Beatrice, it was just like that day on Briny Beach. Just the children, against the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking along the coastal shelf were three figures; two of which the Baudelaires had hoped to avoid. The first was Fiona Widdershins, the second a woman only Sunny had met – she had hair, but no beard. The last of which was easily the most dangerous of the three, but he was an unknown danger, and thus it was to him that the Baudelaires – with the exception of Klaus – whose gaze flickered to

"Who are you?" Sunny's question was the first; but was one that remained unanswered for a very long time. Indeed, the question "who are you", is one that nobody can ever really answer – although many people expect a name at the very least, names can be changed and names can be false. The Baudelaire's had known their parents for the majority of their lives, but they still had no idea who they were, and what they had done with their life.

"Why are you here?" Klaus demanded.

"?" Beatrice wondered aloud.

Violet remained silent, and so did the three visitors.

"Enough questions for now, children." Rasped the woman with hair but no beard. "Call me Sally." Her voice had a metallic, dead edge. "Call him Jam, and this is Reyna."

Klaus's face rippled, and he opened his mouth to object. Her answer, of course, had answered none of their questions. Not only was a name nothing to go on, but he had not missed the "call me" reference. But it was little more than he could bear, than to call Fiona a name he knew was entirely false. "That's isn't-" Violet silenced him with a squeeze of his hand, and he sucked his lips back in.

"Jam" smiled. "Excellent news…Quagmires! We're taking you home."

Sunny's mouth dropped. "The Quagmires? No…we're the Baudelaires…"

Sally's lips curled. "No." she growled. "The Baudelaires are on our boat, and you would do well to remember it."

Violet remained silent. Her suspicions were being confirmed.


End file.
